By Molly Eldridge, SUNY Oneonta
Mambo! My name is Molly Eldridge, and I’m who all the gear you see in the photo above belongs to! I am going into my senior year at SUNY Oneonta, a University in New York (Go Red Dragons!). At Oneonta I am a dual Anthropology and History major, with a minor in Geographic Information Systems. A little more about me is that, while probably not a shocking reveal, I absolutely LOVE to watch any and all National Geographic Documentaries. My desire to explore and learn has always been a huge part of my life and is reflected in both my hobbies and my education. My dream is to one day be an “adventure shovel-bum” which is the industry way of saying that I want to travel the world doing archaeology! Not only do I have a passion for learning, but I also have a passion for sharing what I’ve learned with others. Which is part of why I’m so excited that I get to make these blog posts to share my journey.
So, what will I be doing during my time in Kenya, and what will that look like? I’m so glad you asked! My project is “Investigating Human Origins at Koobi Fora, Kenya” where I will be conducting archaeological field research for six weeks at the cradle of human evolution. A specific research question of mine is, “What are the links between hominid records and paeloenviornments at Koobi Fora?” As someone who studies humans, what I’m interested in is how our environments have impacted our human experience. How our environments have shaped our human experiences is called “behavioral ecology” which will be the crux of my research, and what I hope to study as a PhD student once I graduate. I will be doing this by looking at all sorts of evidence to try and reconstruct what the ancient environments would have been that early humans were living in. Fossil collection and analysis, soil chemistry, and even working with locals are all tools that I will use to collect evidence to support my theories and findings.
As I mentioned, my minor is in Geographic Information Systems, which means that I am trained in spatial analysis tools, or very simply, have the ability to make cool maps sometimes. I’ve made this map to show just how far I’ll be traveling all throughout Kenya during my time researching there. I will also be able to incorporate this skill as part of my research to visualize the data that I’ve collected. While not marked on the map, I will actually be crossing the equator during my travels! Something that I’ve never done before. Going to Africa is a dream, and getting to go there not just as travel, but with the ability to conduct research in a field that I love is just the most incredible opportunity. Friends and family have asked me how I feel as I get ready for my trip, and the answer is, I cannot put how I feel into words. This opportunity is a lifelong dream, an educational stepping stone, and the result of years and years of hard work to get me to where I am in my field and education today. I would not be where I am today without the mountain of people that are my supporters, and that includes the Tyler Center for Global Studies. While my words may be lacking, what I do know is that over the next six weeks I’m going to have the adventure of a lifetime, and I cannot wait to take all of you on this adventure with me!
P.S. I’ve heard that the Grevy Zebras in Northern Kenya are more beautiful than normal plains zebras. I’ll come back with my own researched results and let y’all know if that’s true 😊
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